Summer Colors, ‘Optimism,’ Skin

By Beth Schepens

Jonathan Saunders’s background in printed textiles has won the Scottish designer fashion awards and shelf space in stores like Selfridges in London and Bergdorf Goodman in New York. On Tuesday, it delivered a spring collection whose vibrant colors weren’t the only thing making it stand out.

Mixing bright oranges and soft blues and greens with white and black, the designs combined clean lines with feminine touches like grosgrain-ribbon waistbands for a fresh summer look that stood out all the more amid the stark concrete and marble foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall at London’s Southbank Center.

“I’m quite happy at the moment and I think there’s a feeling of optimism in the air, and that’s what I wanted to relate in the collection,” Mr. Saunders said after the show. “I think when you feel comfortable with yourself in terms of what you are as a designer, that your focus is on color and textiles and that kind of modern femininity, then that was the drive for this collection and it felt relevant.”

Inspired by Jackson Pollock’s “wayward” girlfriend, Ruth Kligman, skirts were either long and body-hugging or short, full and pleated. Dresses ranged from tight, bustier numbers to more casual, belted V-neck ones. Shirts and suit jackets had sharp and stark tailoring reminiscent of Jil Sander’s minimalistic aesthetic. They were offset by colorful graphic prints that Mr. Saunders created first on paper before manipulating the artwork and transferring it to fabric. Beaded geometric patterns added the occasional shimmer, while sheer fabrics revealed touches of skin.

“When you work in such a graphic way, it’s how do you use that but remember the girl, remember her skin,” Mr. Saunders said. “And this, for me, is the first collection where I’ve really embraced skin. And that’s what a girl wants to show, isn’t it, at the end of the day?”

Jonathan Saunders‘ background in printed textiles has won the Scottish designer fashion awards and shelf space in stores like Selfridges in London and Bergdorf Goodman in New York.

On Tuesday, it delivered a spring collection whose vibrant colors weren’t the only thing making it stand out.

Mixing bright oranges, soft blues and greens with white and black, the designs combined clean lines with feminine touches like grosgrain-ribbon waistbands for a fresh summer look that stood out all the more amid the stark concrete and marble foyer of the Queen Elizabeth Hall at London’s Southbank Center.

“I’m quite happy at the moment and I think there’s a feeling of optimism in the air, and that’s what I wanted to relate in the collection,” Mr. Saunders said after the show. “I think when you feel comfortable with yourself in terms of what you are as a designer, that your focus is on color and textiles and that kind of modern femininity, then that was the drive for this collection and it felt relevant.”

Inspired by Jackson Pollock‘s “wayward” girlfriend, Ruth Kligman, skirts were either long and body-hugging or short, full and pleated. Dresses ranged from tight, bustier numbers to more casual, belted V-neck ones.

Shirts and suit jackets had sharp and stark tailoring reminiscent of Jil Sander‘s minimalistic aesthetic. They were offset by colorful graphic prints that Mr. Saunders created first on paper before manipulating the artwork and transferring it to fabric. Beaded geometric patterns added the occasional shimmer, while sheer fabrics revealed touches of skin.

“When you work in such a graphic way, it’s ‘how do you use that but remember the girl, remember her skin?’,” Mr. Saunders said. “And this, for me, is the first collection where I’ve really embraced skin. And that’s what a girl wants to show, isn’t it, at the end of the day?”